In a memorable weekend at the Lausitzring circuit, driver Ben Dorr has achieved his first victory in DTM, a triumph that, surprisingly, can be attributed to his teammate Timo Glock. Despite a complicated weekend, Glock suffered a technical defect that forced him to park his McLaren on the track during Saturday’s race, prompting a Full-Course-Yellow phase that worked in Dorr’s favor.
Ben Dorr, who had started the race from tenth position, found himself in a tricky situation due to the rainy conditions. Before the pit stops, he was 6.6 seconds behind leader Nicki Thiim. The strategies from his team turned out to be spot on, as Dorr opted to wait an extra lap before entering the pits.
The Importance of Full-Course-Yellow
The decisive moment came when the race director announced the Full-Course-Yellow, after Glock’s car came to a stop on the track. These circumstances allowed Dorr to gain a valuable 25 seconds during his pit stop, although his strategy still depended on the speed of his pit crew.
Dorr’s mechanics made the change in 7.5 seconds, a time that was not enough to prevent him from losing position to Ricardo Feller, who had a faster pit stop. However, Dorr managed to reclaim second position thanks to an excellent acceleration following the safety phase.
The Unexpected Outcome
As the race progressed, Dorr saw his rivals, Marco Mapelli and Ricardo Feller, being penalized with 15 seconds for violating the speed limit during the Full-Course-Yellow. These penalties allowed Dorr to be declared the winner, almost four hours after crossing the finish line.
Reflecting on his victory, Dorr admitted that he didn’t expect such a good result in a weekend that initially seemed complicated. “We knew we weren’t that strong here, but our strategy and the weather conditions played a key role,” he commented.
Comparisons with Crashgate
The situation has generated comparisons with previous incidents like the Crashgate of 2009, but, according to experts, the circumstances are not parallel. Glock left his car on the track accidentally, without the intention of creating a situation that would benefit his teammate, something he confirmed in his post-race statements.
Glock, who had started the race from the lowest position, expressed frustration at his retirement, arguing that his car did not respond after an attempted restart. Thus, while his teammate celebrated success, Glock realized that in the motorsport world, situations can change dramatically in a matter of minutes.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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